Updates from SIHH 2013 – Part 1

We report from Geneva as the globe's best luxury timepiece producers show off their latest and greatest

Varun Godinho reports from Geneva where the globe’s luxury timepiece producers show off their latest and greatest.

If you ever wanted proof that watchmaking is serious business and not just an esoteric pursuit of a few men and women, come join us at the ongoing 23rd edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva. It’s where product heads of the brands well up when they talk about their creations at the press presentation, where hundreds of journalists from around the world congregate to report on some of the biggest trends and releases for watches in 2013, and where each of the 17 participating watch companies display their collection in booths that are designed to impress. On day 1, we had a chance to sit through the presentations of four brands. Here’s what they’re up to in 2013.

Baume & Mercier Typically known for their understated elegance, for 2013, they decided to push forward two collections: Clifton for men, and Linea for women. Best known for their clean dials, these watches aren’t in-your-face pieces with large intimidating dials and complicated functions. The Clifton 10057 Complete Calendar exhibits the moon phase and date on its blue dial. Particular favourites are the 39mm Clifton10058 Auto and the slightly larger 41mm Clifton10100 Auto that have a sapphire crystal case back, and options between metal bracelets and leather straps.The best part? You won’t have to save for the next few decades until you can afford on. The 10057 will retail for approximately Rs 2.75 Lakhs in India.

Piaget To be considered a serious player in the world of haute horlogerie, you need to have mastered these five complications – Tourbillion, Chronograph, Perpetual Calendar, Minute Repeater and Grand Sonnerie. Piaget already had the first three as part of their existing collection. This year, it was time to come out with the fourth – their first ever minute repeater. The 48mm PiagetEmperador Coussin Ultra-Thin Minute Repeater, is also the world’s thinnest automatic repeater at a thickness of just 9.4mm. But if getting down to anorexic proportions was the goal, then we were impressed with their Altiplano line. The Piaget Altiplano Caliber 1205P measures in with a 6.36mm thick case, comes in options of white gold, rose gold or rose gold set with 72 diamonds. This stunner brings together two of Piaget’s biggest strengths – jewellery and horology.

Jaeger-leCoultre JLC, best known for their Reverso series, brought much to the table this year. Their Gyrotourbillon 3, is the world’s first gyrotourbillon with an automatic chronograph. But what really got us excited was the competition amongst watchmakers to slim down their creations. While Piaget did a good job with their first minute repeater, JLC did well too, by introducing the Master Ultra Thin that along with the case measures in at just 4.05mm thick. JLC though hasn’t come across the idea of slimming down their watches while looking at the competition, it has instead looked at its own past, drawing inspiration from their 1907 Knife pocket watch that is over a century old and has a thickness of just 1.38mm. Fast forward to the Twenty-first century, and the new limited edition of the Master Ultra Thin. We were told that it is difficult to get any thinner without compromising the accuracy of the watch, or without the minute and hour hands sweeping the glass. At 12,100 Euros, we suspect that there may be many takers for this watch, though with just 880 pieces to go around, we suspect that it may be difficult for you to find one.

A. Lange & SöhneGrand Complication. Two words that can shut up even the chattiest watch enthusiast at the exhibition. Why? Not nearly because it carries a staggering price tag of 1.92million Euros, or that it takes an entire year to create just one timepiece, or that only six of these will ever be produced over the next six years; but really because of it incorporates a total of 7 functions in one piece, including a perpetual calendar, split-second chronograph with flying seconds and a grand sonnerie among others too. It is truly a masterpiece, probably one of the best we’ve seen at the SIHH this year. It’s got worthy company in the updated releases of the refreshed 1815 Rattrapante Perpetual Calendar that cost a much more modest,1,60,000-1,80,000 Euros, and the Grand Lange 1 Lumen. The only otherwatch that can give the Grand Complication a run for its money, is the million–euro Roger Dubuis Excalibur Quatuor with a silicon case. We’d love to tell you more about this watch. But if we did, then we wouldn’t have a story to share with you tomorrow. Stay tuned.